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Woodpecker vs. Gold Medallion Tree

February 20, 2010

Plant Information

A caller informed me that a woodpecker was pecking into one of his Gold Medallion trees (Cassia leptophylla) and causing the tree to start dying off. How, he asked me, can the bird be discouraged, and what about the tree? The bird might be looking for borers in the wood, so check the tree for borers, you may have to treat the tree after the bird has been chased away. The woodpecker may also might be storing food in the holes until later, or feeding on sap from the tree. In any case the damage to the tree can be fairly substantial, so it is not a bad idea to discourage the bird from hanging around. One way of doing this is to  tie strips of foil on to the tree so that its glittering and flashing appearence in the sun scares them away. If that doesn't work they can try scarecrow owls (which the woodpeckers get used to fairly rapidly if the owls aren't moved) or wrapping bird netting around the suffering branches. If the woodpecker damage to the branch is extensive, you may have to cut that branch off where it initiates from the trunk, leaving a 1-2 inchecollar so that the tree can properly heal.

Cactus and Succulent Show Highlights

August 18, 2009

Plant Information

Held by three local cactus and succulent societies, the InterCity Cactus and Succulent Show drew hundreds of aficionados of these plants to Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden. Collectors of these weird and wonderful plants brought their most prized specimens to the event to compete for ribbons and medals. Let’s take a look at some of this year's entrants:

Adenium obesum subsp. swazicum

Adenium obesum subsp. swazicum, commonly called the ‘Desert rose,’ is an African plant related to oleanders and garden vinca. It is summer deciduous, losing all its leaves in the summer and relying on water and nutrition stored in its caudex, the large fleshy structure that appears as a mass of swelling roots at the base of its stem. Plants with a caudex are referred to as ‘caudate’ and are much in demand by collectors because of their monstrous,  unusual nature and because they are fairly easy to grow in containers. 


Aztekium ritteri

Aztekium ritteri is native to a single valley to the state of Nueva Leon in northeast Mexico where it is found growing out of almost vertical limestone and gypsum cliffs. Its genus name comes from its resemblance to the stair-stepped structure of Aztec temples. It is thought to be one of the slowest growing cacti on earth. 

Cyphostemma seitziana

Cyphostemma seitziana is a pachycaul succulent, a type of caudate plant that has a swollen stem that appears as a bottle shaped structure. It’s found in Namibia where it grows in desert areas.  It produces small flowers followed by fruit, but be careful, even though Cyphostemma seitziana is in the same family as table grapes, the fruit are poisonous to humans and animals. 

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